Juvenile Delinquency Flashcards
What is Juvenile Delinquency classed as?
Young offenders aged 10-17, difficult to define as it depends on the context ie. different countries have different ages of criminal responsibility
What is the age of criminal responsibility in the UK?
10
10-17 year olds accounted for…
13.6% of all arrests (Youth Justice statistics 2011/12)
most of which were male
Roe & Ashe (2008) surveyed youths aged 10-25
31% had committed 1 offence
28% 2-3 offences
29% were 6 or more offences (frequent offenders)
49% ADMITTED COMMITTING SERIOUS OFFENCE
The peak in male offending is…
The peak in female offending is…
14-17
12-17
Juvenile Delinquency can be explained by Risk Factors
Individual, Family, Peers and School or Neighbourhood
Loeber et al (1993) Predictable Order
gradual development of ASB as it worsens over time:
Less serious forms of delinquency over time precede the onset of more serious delinquent acts
Authority Conflict Pathway, Overt Pathway, Covert Pathway
Authority Conflict Pathway
before 12
stubborn behaviour, defiance/disobedience and authority avoidance eg. truancy/staying out late
Covert Pathway
Minor (shoplifting) to Property damage (vandalism) to more serious delinquency eg (car theft)
Overt Pathway
Minor aggression to physical fighting, to violence eg. assault, rape, homicide
Static Risk Factors are…
those that can’t be changed/helped e.g. mental illness, learning disabilities
‘Correlate risk factors’ are…
events that occurred at the same time as delinquency eg. being thrown out of home, leads to theft
Individual risk factors include…
Genetics (hereditary aggression, depression)
Prenatal development/birth complications
Executive Functioning affected (cognition, planning, problem solving, ability to reason)
Low IQ or poor ability to feel empathy
Educational failure - 1. reject authority 2. no qualifications/poor prospects, 3. low self-esteem
Behavioural factors - hyperactivity/aggression
Gender differences in JD
Girls are more likely to pick better peer groups, try harder at school, avoid dangerous situations, boys are allowed more freedom to roam and GIRLS MATURE FASTER
Family Risk Factors
Inadequate parenting, no role model present, parents who also offend and set bad example, inconsistent or overly harsh discipline, abuse and neglect, presssure from low income families
Peer Risk Factors - Prime time for offending is teenage years and this is when influence of peers is greatest
Peer rejection (cos of aggressive or odd behaviour) = social exclusion and ASB because of need to fit in, or because ‘rejects’ group together and never learn prosocial behaviour
Peer Rejection - Laird 2011
High childhood ASB = high peer rejection - high ASB in adolescence
High childhood ASB = less peer rejection = low ASB in adolescence
Low ASB in childhood + peer rejection + higher levels of ASB in adolescence
Low ASB in childhood = no peer rejection = low levels of ASB in adolescence
JD & Social Learning Theory - “bad company corrupts”
(Akers, 1985)
Modelling processes - particularly from older peers or family members who set bad examples
Reinforcing antisocial attitudes
(Osgood, 1996) unstructured socialising & peers as audience - do it to impress others and increased opportunities for ASB
Delinquent peers - Haynie & Osgood (2005)
lots of ‘hanging out’ & lack of things to do = ASB
but they also stress family factors are just as important
Neighbourhood factors of JD
poorer, less organised neighbourhoods with weaker social ties ie. high resident turnover, fragmented communities with high levels of immigration, low social control, high unemployment, lack of prosocial models, low income and single parent households
Desistance - Sampson and Laub (1990; 1992)
Social ties to adult institutions of informal social control
Stable employment, job satisfaction, job commitment
Good marriage (non-delinquent partner) and parenthood
However, juvenile delinquents often experience difficulties finding a job / a (prosocial) partner!
